Students in algebra raised their scores from 35 percent to 58, and science saw a nine-point jump from 66 to 75 percent.

As a result of the model, the school also puts all of its eighth graders in algebra, which Bleisch said is a controversial thing to do because many people feel kids in the eighth grade don’t have the skills yet to succeed in algebra.

“We now have the highest test scores of any school on the Westside of the 805 in algebra,” Bleisch said.

Bleisch said cutting class affects children living in poverty more because they lack the resources outside of school to make up for lost learning.

Castle Park Middle is deemed as one of the poorest schools in the district, Bleisch said, with 65 percent of its students as English language learners.

Bleisch said the number of kids that qualify and receive free and reduce lunch defines a poor school. Eighty-six percent of the students at Castle Park Middle School receive free and reduced lunched.

Castle Park Middle School is setting the standard for poorer schools, Bleisch said.

“Never in the history of the Sweetwater District has the poorest school had the highest attendance in the district,” he said.

Now that kids are in the classroom, Bleisch said, the challenge is to get the parents to buy into the system.